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The paper is aimed at the promotion of voluntary land consolidation through the improvement of land plots exchange. The issue of the existing land plots boundaries adjustment in the course of voluntary land consolidation has been singled out. Possibilities, advantages and risks of land plots exchange without changing the existing boundaries as a constituent of land consolidation measures have been substantiated. The improvement of approaches to land plots exchange modelling without the existing boundaries adjustment has been suggested. Demands to the formation of consolidated land tenures as the result of exchange have been singled out. Theory of combinations has been applied to specify land plots exchange options. Calculation formulas for the number of the optimal consolidated agricultural land tenure placement options have been suggested. The calculations can be applied in the optimization and heuristic approaches to land reallocation and at land consolidation performance evaluation. Suggested approaches facilitate the implementation of heuristic methods especially in non-standard conditions, allow to increase the number of developers, especially involving experts with little experience. The results can be used for land plots lease optimization.

Recent increases in regional wildfire activity have been linked to climate change. Here, we analyse trends in observed global extreme fire weather and their meteorological drivers from 1979 to 2020 using the ERA5 reanalysis. Trends in annual extreme (95th percentile) values of the fire weather index (FWI95), initial spread index (ISI95) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD95) varied regionally, with global increases in mean values of 14, 12 and 12%, respectively. Significant increases occurred over a quarter to almost half of the global burnable land mass. Decreasing relative humidity was a driver of over three-quarters of significant increases in FWI95 and ISI95, while increasing temperature was a driver for 40% of significant trends. Trends in VPD95 were predominantly associated with increasing temperature. These trends are likely to continue, as climate change projections suggest global decreases in relative humidity and increases in temperature that may increase future fire risk where fuels remain abundant. Climate change has led to increased fire activity in parts of the globe due to observed increases in fire weather extremes. These trends are driven predominantly by decreasing relative humidity and increasing temperature.

Aotearoa New Zealand is a marine nation. The islands are 1700 km from the nearest continental land mass, its northern coasts are bathed by warm waters arriving from the tropics, and its southern co...

Africa is one of the most data-scarce regions as satellite observation at the Equator is limited by cloud cover and there is a very limited number of ground-based measurements. As a result, the use of simulations from models is mandatory to fill this data gap. A comparison of satellite observation with model and available in situ observations will be useful to estimate the performance of satellites in the region. In this study, GOSAT column-averaged carbon dioxide dry-air mole fraction (XCO2) is compared with the NOAA CT2016 and six flask observations over Africa using 5 years of data covering the period from May 2009 to April 2014. Ditto for OCO-2 XCO2 against NOAA CT16NRT17 and eight flask observations over Africa using 2 years of data covering the period from January 2015 to December 2016. The analysis shows that the XCO2 from GOSAT is higher than XCO2 simulated by CT2016 by 0.28±1.05 ppm, whereas OCO-2 XCO2 is lower than CT16NRT17 by 0.34±0.9 ppm on the African land mass on average. The mean correlations of 0.83±1.12 and 0.60±1.41 and average root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 2.30±1.45 and 2.57±0.89 ppm are found between the model and the respective datasets from GOSAT and OCO-2, implying the existence of a reasonably good agreement between CT and the two satellites over Africa's land region. However, significant variations were observed in some regions. For example, OCO-2 XCO2 are lower than that of CT16NRT17 by up to 3 ppm over some regions in North Africa (e.g. Egypt, Libya, and Mali), whereas it exceeds CT16NRT17 XCO2 by 2 ppm over Equatorial Africa (10∘ S–10∘ N). This regional difference is also noted in the comparison of model simulations and satellite observations with flask observations over the continent. For example, CT shows a better sensitivity in capturing flask observations over sites located in North Africa. In contrast, satellite observations have better sensitivity in capturing flask observations in lower-altitude island sites. CT2016 shows a high spatial mean of seasonal mean RMSD of 1.91 ppm during DJF with respect to GOSAT, while CT16NRT17 shows 1.75 ppm during MAM with respect to OCO-2. On the other hand, low RMSDs of 1.00 and 1.07 ppm during SON in the model XCO2 with respect to GOSAT and OCO-2 are respectively determined, indicating better agreement during autumn. The model simulation and satellite observations exhibit similar seasonal cycles of XCO2 with a small discrepancy over Southern Africa (35–10∘ S) and during wet seasons over all regions.

Demonstrating how science relates to human health is an important step for generating K–12 student interest in health-related careers. Science outreach is often performed in urban areas; however, ~20% of K–12 schools are in rural areas. Michigan Technological University is located in Michigan’s upper peninsula, which accounts for 30% of the state’s land mass but only 3% of the total population. Our goal was to create a science outreach program for reaching K–12 students in our rural region. We assembled a team of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty to implement science outreach with K–12 students. Specifically, we leveraged existing national and international science outreach events [Physiology Friday, Physiology Understanding (PhUn) Week, National Biomechanics Day] to offer hands-on physiology and biomechanics activities during the year. Between 2016 and 2019, we connected with 31 K–12 schools and impacted 327 elementary (19%), 351 middle school (21%), and 1,018 high school (60%) students (total impact 1,696). Over 90% of the outreach visits took place at the K–12 schools. The hands-on activities were delivered by more than 85 undergraduate and graduate students and 10 faculty. Together, the supportive culture and resources within the department (e.g., outreach coordinator, participation from students and faculty, grant funding) were key to developing the program. We recommend starting with a single outreach event, working as a team, and being flexible with K–12 schools. The program also provided service-learning and professional development opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty. Our robust science outreach program promoted “PhUn” all year-round with rural K–12 students.

The processes of material transport in oceans and their exchange with the land mass are complex and are a concern of interest to many researchers. Seawater and surface sediment samples from Tarapur, Mumbai and Goa from west coast of India were collected and analysed for 226Ra and 228Ra. The activity levels of 226Ra ranged from 19 to 36 Bq/kg while the levels of 228Ra ranged from 25 to 55 Bq/kg in sediments. While the 226Ra and 228Ra activity levels ranged between 1.2–3.7 mBq/L and 3.1–7.1 mBq/L respectively. The activity ratios for the two isotopes were also calculated and were found to range between 0.4 and 2.3. The analyses were carried out using gamma spectrometry.

I acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we gather. I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging and especially welcome Aboriginal people here with us today. On February 7, 1788, on a place called Camp Cove in Port Jackson—recognizable to our international visitors as the land mass around Circular Quay on the harbor's edge—a commission signed by the King of England, George III, appointing Captain Arthur Phillip captain-general and governor in chief in and over the territory of New South Wales was read out by the Judge Advocate, David Collins, before an assembled throng of just over 1000 people.

The paper is concerned with the issues of the voluntary land consolidation using the exchange method at land relations reforming. The objective of the article is the substantiation of the exchange method aiming at the large and small land owners (land users) land tenure optimization and the formation of approaches with the help of which the mutual alignment of their interests can be achieved. Land plot ownership and tenure rights exchange by the relative value has been substantiated. It is suggested to define the relative value based on the principle of juxtaposition of land plots by their qualitative, spatial and technological characteristics. The land plots exchange modelling has been improved according to the relative value application and due to the existing land plots boundaries retaining at the exchange. The effectiveness of the suggested land plots exchange method has been demonstrated at the land tenure optimization of an agricultural enterprise and some households in Kyiv Region. Alternative land consolidation projects based on the land plots exchange have been developed, the results of which demonstrate the advantages of the voluntary land consolidation based on the suggested methodology.

HydroGNSS has been selected as the second ESA Scout Earth Observation mission to demonstrate the ability of small satellites to deliver science. This paper summarises the case for HydroGNSS, as developed during its System Consolidation study. HydroGNSS is a high value dual small satellite mission, which will prove new concepts and offer timely climate observations that supplement and complement existing observations and are high in ESA’s Earth Observation scientific priorities. The mission delivers observations of four hydrological Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) as defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) using the new technique of GNSS Reflectometry. These will cover the world’s land mass to 25 km resolution, with a 15 day revisit. The variables are soil moisture, inundation or wetlands, freeze / thaw state and above ground biomass.

Landsat 9 is in its final preparations for launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 16 September 2021. It has completed its environmental testing at Northrop Grumman Space (NGSP) in Gilbert, Arizona and has been transported to its California launch site. It will be launched into a 705 km orbit replacing Landsat 7 to provide 8-day Earth land mass coverage in concert with Landsat 8. Landsat 8 carries the first Operational Land Imager (OLI) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS); Landsat 9 carries the second of each: OLI-2 and TIRS-2. Once launched it will undergo a 90-day activation, checkout, characterization and calibration, a.k.a. commissioning phase before transitioning to operations. For a several-day period during this commissioning phase, Landsat 9 will under-fly Landsat 8, allowing near simultaneous data collection by both sensors of common Earth targets. These data will be used to compare the radiometric calibrations of the instruments and allow for adjustments of processing parameters to provide more consistent data products.

Over the last 20,000 years, one third of the continental land mass of Australia, or 2.12 million km2, has been drowned by postglacial sea-level rise. Much of this drowned territory is thought to ha...

The need for a stable, well-trained behavioral health workforce is substantial, especially in rural parts of the United States. As a state with a large land mass and small population, Alaska epitomizes this struggle. This article examines the impact of a rural and indigenous BASW program focused on “growing our own” social workers throughout rural Alaska. Data from graduates demonstrates more than half of the homegrown graduates were still working in Alaska in 2016, most in jobs that could be identified as social work related. Additionally, 33% of graduates were AI/AN, compared to 19.5% in the general population. The study also found that having students first complete a culturally grounded certificate program both increased the likelihood that graduates remained working in Alaska and substantially increased the percentage of AI/AN BASW graduates. These findings suggest a Grow Your Own program may be an effective strategy for addressing rural behavioral health workforce challenges.

Marconi’s experimentation started with the extension of physical ranges of wireless transmitters based on spark energy applied coded messages based on Morse code. Marconi’s initial experimentation was carried out in his father’s country estate house “Villa Griffone” at Pontecchio, Bologna, Italy. His first success was based on the “Experiment of Celestin Hill” He was drastically progressed when he moved to London where he came in contact with William Preece, chief engineer of the British post office who provided a great platform for his efforts and tried to connect land mass to ships, island to island and ship to ship using wireless communication. With these experimental successes, he dared to carry out the successful wireless transmissions over the Atlantic ocean covering a distance of 3,000 kms (1865 miles). It was the first time for Marconi when official messages were transmitted and commercial messaging between Britain and Canada across the Atlantic started. For his efforts, he was awarded the Nobel prize in 1909 which also was shared by Ferdinand Braun for his contribution to wireless telegraphy in the form of a crystal detector.

HydroGNSS (Hydrology using Global Navigation Satellite System reflections) has been selected as the second European Space Agency (ESA) Scout earth observation mission to demonstrate the capability of small satellites to deliver science. This article summarizes the case for HydroGNSS as developed during its system consolidation study. HydroGNSS is a high-value dual small satellite mission, which will prove new concepts and offer timely climate observations that supplement and complement the existing observations and are high in ESAs earth observation scientific priorities. The mission delivers the observations of four hydrological essential climate variables as defined by the global climate observing system using the new technique of GNSS reflectometry. These will cover the world's land mass to 25 km resolution, with a 15-day revisit. The variables are soil moisture, inundation or wetlands, freeze/thaw state, and above-ground biomass.

Current global commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases encourage national targets for renewable generation. Due to its small land mass, offshore wind could help Bahrain to fulfill its obligations. However, no scoping study has yet been carried out. The methodology presented here addresses this research need. It employs Analytical Hierarchy Process and pairwise comparison methods in a Geographical Information Systems environment. Publicly available land use, infrastructure and transport data are used to exclude areas unsuitable for development due to physical and safety constraints. Meteorological and oceanic opportunities are ranked, then competing uses are analyzed to deliver optimal sites for wind farms. The potential annual wind energy yield is calculated by dividing the sum of optimal areas by a suitable turbine footprint, to deliver maximum turbine number. Ten favourable wind farm areas were identified in Bahrain’s territorial waters, representing about 4% of the total maritime area, and capable of supplying 2.68 TWh/yr of wind energy or almost 10% of the Kingdom’s annual electricity consumption. Detailed maps of potential sites for offshore wind construction are provided in the paper, giving an initial plan for installation in these locations.

The location of a road embankment near a flowing mountain water contributes to its degradation. The ceding of the embankment or retaining wall occurred due to erosion and scouring phenomena. The scouring phenomena have led to the destruction of the existing support structures and the loss of the stability of the river bank, and the erosion phenomena have led to the increase of the land mass displaced below the road structure. The article presents the causes of the failure analyzing and proposing solutions for the stabilization of two roads located on the banks of mountain flowing waters in the Romanian Oriental Carpathian mountains.

The migration of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is of topical interest because of its recent introduction and rapid dissemination throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. This study compares fall armyworm from island and mainland locations in Ecuador to estimate migration behavior. The Galápagos Islands is a province of Ecuador whose mainland coast lies approximately 1000 km to the west and is the closest major land mass. Air transport modeling indicates that natural migration from the mainland to the Galápagos is unlikely, suggesting that most, if not all, the introgressions of mainland fall armyworm into the Galápagos are occurring through trade-assisted transport in contaminated cargo, which is offloaded at the Galápagos port of entry in San Cristóbal island. Haplotype studies are consistent with this limited migration and further show divergence in the fall armyworm from San Cristóbal with those from the neighboring island of Santa Cruz despite their close proximity (less than 100 km distance) and favorable winds for inter-island flights. These observations indicate that water poses a significant barrier for moth migration in this region, with human-assisted transport probably playing a more important role than natural migration.

Revolutionary changes in technological advancements have culminated in a hyper integration as well as stiff competitions in various facets of human endeavours. Technology has amalgamated a wide, disconnected, and diverse world with a massive land mass and water into a mere village. The space created is now bigger than the lands, seas, and oceans put together – it is called the cyber space. Trade, a hitherto localized form of exchange of goods and services, and a source of livelihood for human existence, has also metamorphosed into high levels of stiff competitions which have driven business managers to look beyond their domestic local markets for new opportunities even beyond their shores. Communities, on which trade and technologies thrive, have also had their own share of changes in all facets brought about by technological changes. Ages-long cultural practices are now giving way to changes never experienced before. While some cultures have incorporated these changes, others have been swallowed up and therefore gone into extinction.

The Murray–Darling river basin (MDRB) occupies 14% of the Australian land mass and it is the longest and the most iconic river system in Australia. From 2001 to 2009, MDRB experienced a severe rainfall deficiency that gave rise to the millennium drought. This drought aggravated the water scarcity in South Australia, especially in the Adelaide area. At the end of MDRB, the Murray River flows into the Lower Lakes (Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert) before entering the ocean. This study proposes a second-generation coastal reservoir strategy in Lake Alexandrina to provide freshwater for the city of Adelaide. Hydraulic, hydrodynamic and salinity processes in the lake were modelled using MIKE modelling suite to simulate the impact of a coastal reservoir. The results show that if a coastal reservoir is built, it could provide an additional 150 GL/year of freshwater for Adelaide. The salinity in the coastal reservoir can be kept at around 0.3 PSU.

Zhu Xi 朱熹 constructed his grand synthesis of Chinese philosophy in the twelfth century. In the thirteenth century, on the other side of the wide Eurasian land mass, Thomas Aquinas (1226–1274) constructed his grand synthesis of Western philosophy and theology. The philosophical approaches adopted by those two intellectual giants were almost diametrically opposed.

During the period of March 1975 to February 1976 a survey was carried out in the water off Muara Karang, Jakarta Bay. Water temperature were slightly higher than those in the open sea, and showed a seasonal variation. The seasonal variation axe affected by meteorological conditions, incoming water from neighbouring seas, and by the land mass.

In 1956, Shell Oil Company geologist M. King Hubbert published a model for the growth and decline over time of the production rates of oil extracted from the land mass of the continental US. Employing an estimate for the amount of ultimately recoverable oil and a logistic curve for the oil production rate, he accurately predicted a peak in US oil production for 1970. His arguments and the success of his prediction have been much celebrated, and the original paper has 1400 publication citations to date. The theory of “peak oil” (and subsequently, of natural resource scarcity in general) has consequently become associated with Hubbert and “Hubbert” curves and models. However, his prediction for the timing of a world peak oil production rate and the subsequent predictions of many others have proven inaccurate. We revisit the Hubbert model for oil extraction and provide an analysis of it and several variants in the language of (time) autonomous differential equations.

India with a population of about 1.3 billion and diverse cultures holds within its large land mass an encyclopedia of medical cases, several un/underdiagnosed. Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is one such condition. Over the years, as the understanding of our team increased about the condition, we were able to share the same with our colleagues across the institution and publish the brief article. This resulted in an increased referral pattern from within the institution and across the country. At our institution, we managed 127 cases of KTS between October 2009 and December 2017. In this article, we share our experience about managing the cases, lessons learnt, and the challenges we face.

The formation of a new mega land mass is just a matter of geological time. But what will it look like, asks Stephen Battersby

Background Western Australia accounts for one-third of Australia's total land mass. Princess Margaret Hospital is the only dedicated plastic surgery tertiary referral centre providing services to over 500 000 children across the state. The aim of this study is to share our experience using telehealth for service provision and delivery of care in a geographically challenging setting. Methods A retrospective review was conducted, and data were extracted from patients’ notes. The time period was from January 2014 to 31 December 2015 and included all patients registered for plastic surgery telehealth service. Results There were a total of 194 rural patients (66 males and 128 females), 26 of whom were elective cases. A total of 358 telehealth follow-up consultations were conducted for the 194 patients during the study period. A total of 10 patients were managed via telehealth alone without a clinical review in Perth; 24 patients had their first clinical review in Perth and further follow-up via telehealth, and 99 patients were post-operative cases. Case load ranged from skin lacerations to complex soft tissue and bony injuries as well as elective hand and craniofacial post-operative follow-up cases. Telehealth service was utilized mainly for post-operative follow-up. Conclusion It is our experience that telehealth provides access to Specialist Plastic Surgery service across the state. We utilize telehealth for a wide scope of functions. Patients in rural areas are managed in their home environments, reducing financial and psychosocial burden with the option of transfer to Princess Margaret Hospital should an intervention be required.

The Niger Delta extends over 70,000 km and makes up 7.5 percent of Nigeria’s land mass. The region has experienced the bad side of mineral exploitation with the discovery of crude oil in commercial...

Okinawa is host to around 70 per cent of Japan’s U.S. bases. The U.S. presence has been and continues to be a controversial issue that is of great concern in the region. When Japan lost the Pacific War in 1945, it was occupied by the Allied forces up until 1952, but Okinawa was occupied for 20 more years, only to be reverted to Japan in 1972. Upon reversion, the main island of Okinawa, occupying only 0.6 per cent of Japan’s land mass, hosted what can be argued to be the densest number of U.S. military bases in the region. This reality has contributed to Okinawa’s contentious history as a peripheral part of the Japanese nation-state, as well as the ambivalences Okinawans feel towards the Japanese mainland.

This chapter provides some basic information about the Australian higher-education system. Among other things, it may help readers from outside Australia better understand the context. Around the world, some 200 million students are involved in tertiary education. This number has more than doubled since the start of the century and is likely to double again by 2030. Over 6 million people teach in tertiary education – a number which is also rising. Australia’s size conceals some important facts that are relevant to understanding its higher education system. The land mass is 7.7 million square kilometres or 3 million square miles. Its most northerly and southerly state capitals – Darwin and Hobart – are 3,700 kilometres apart, as are its most easterly and westerly. The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching Student Experience Survey has been designed in a way that makes comparison with US and UK data easier, though some caution needs to be exercised.

Эффективным критерием физико-механического состояния земельного массива служит твёрдость грунта и плотность сложения его пахотного слоя. При его изменении меняется и ряд других свойств: воздушный, тепловой и водный режимы, скорость протекания химических и биологических процессов. Ограничение уровня энерго-машинных воздействий в технологическом комплексе зерновых культур обусловлено повышением их урожайности. Поэтому с плотностью сложения непосредственно связаны организационные решения о механической обработке пахотного слоя и последующих материальные затратах на создание и поддержание благоприятного строения пашни под севооборотами. В зернопаровом севообороте «пар – пшеница – ячмень – овёс» на полевом стационаре Красноярского НИИСХ, п. «Минино», установлено, что снижение механической нагрузки способствует повышению влажности пахотного слоя. Так на глубине до 50 см влажность к посеву культур по вспашке составляла 23%, а при обработке дискатором 26%, на участках прямого посева (без обработки) 28%. В течение всего вегетационного периода отмечается низкий уровень обеспеченности нитратным азотом, подвижным фосфором и обменным калием на высоком и среднем уровне. Величина плотности в горизонте 0-40 см после уборки культур и весной перед 2 посевом, не превышает допустимое для зерновых значение 21 кг/см . В замыкающем поле севооборота оценка твёрдости горизонта 0-50 см с шагом 5 см показала наличие аномального уплотнения («плужной подошвы») в слое 10-20 см на варианте вспашки. Яровая пшеница по пару формирует до 27,3 ц/га, не зависимо от способа подготовки парового поля. Урожайность ячменя по вспашке и минимальной обработке составила 21,7 ц/га, при прямом посеве выше на 1,7 ц/га. Овёс по вспашке формировал 34,4 ц/га зерна, на варианте минимальной обработки урожайность ниже на 2 ц/га, а при посеве без обработки — ниже на 5,4 ц/га. Использование физико-механических характеристик земельного массива и его пахотного слоя позволяет уточнить агрономические требования к программированию урожая зерновых культур на опытном поле. В частности, по данным многолетнего опыта это позволило установить связь урожайности зерновых культур с вариантами обработки пахотного слоя., An effective criterion for the physical and mechanical state of the land mass is the hardness of the soil and the density of the addition of its arable layer. When it changes, a number of other properties also change: air, thermal and water regimes, the rate of chemical and biological processes. The limitation of the level of energy-machine impacts in the technological complex of grain crops is due to an increase in their productivity. Therefore, organizational decisions on the mechanical processing of the arable layer and subsequent material costs for creating and maintaining a favorable structure of arable land under crop rotation are directly related to the density of addition. In the grain-steam rotation rotation "steam wheat barley oats" at the field hospital of the Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Agriculture, p. "Minino", it was found that reducing the mechanical load contributes to an increase in the moisture content of the arable layer. So, at a depth of up to 50 cm, the humidity for sowing crops by plowing was 23%, and when processing with a disc cultivator, 26%, in the areas of direct sowing (without treatment) 28%. Throughout the growing season, there is a low level of provision with nitrate nitrogen, mobile phosphorus and exchange potassium at a high and medium level. The density in the horizon of 0-40 cm after harvesting and in the spring before sowing 2 does not exceed the allowable value for grain of 21 kg / cm . In the closing field of the crop rotation, an assessment of horizon hardness of 0-50 cm in increments of 5 cm showed the presence of anomalous compaction (“plow sole”) in the 10-20 cm layer in the plowing variant. Spring wheat in pairs forms up to 27.3 c / ha, regardless of the method of preparation of the steam field. Barley yields for plowing and minimum cultivation amounted to 21.7 kg / ha, with direct sowing higher by 1.7 kg / ha. Oats for plowing formed 34.4 c / ha of grain, with the minimum cultivation variant the yield is lower by 2 c / ha, and when sown without cultivation, it is lower by 5.4 c / ha. Using the physical and mechanical characteristics of the land mass and its arable layer allows us to clarify the agronomic requirements for programming the yield of grain crops on the experimental field. In particular, according to many years of experience, this made it possible to establish a relationship between the productivity of grain crops and the options for processing the arable layer.

New Zealand was the last substantial land mass discovered by humans. Polynesian voyagers arrived in about AD 1280, and evolved into the Māori, a unique indigenous culture. They were accompanied by the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans, Māori name kiore) and domestic dog (in Māori, kuri)—the first four-footed mammals to encounter the rich endemic fauna of pre-human times. Genetic analyses of kiore have been instrumental in determining the history of Polynesian settlement throughout the Pacific. Human hunters assisted by fire and dogs targeted the large, meaty native birds and their eggs and chicks; kiore destroyed the fruits and seedlings of forest trees, and the smaller birds, lizards and invertebrates. The Māori settled both main and many offshore islands, unintentionally setting off a massive transformation of the New Zealand environment. Of 217 known species of native breeding birds (not all living at the same time), 145 (67%) are listed as endemic and 57 (25%) as extinct. Offshore islands provided refuges for many other forest birds, penguins and pinnipeds. The most immediate, inevitable losses rapidly removed those most vulnerable to accelerated mortality, including all nine species of moa in

While local anthropogenic emission sources contribute significantly to pollutant levels in a megacity Delhi, meteorology can significantly modulate carbon monoxide (CO) levels. We hereby demonstrate that the concentration of CO during the unusual onset of monsoon 2013 was dramatically elevated and crossed the permissible limit (1.7 ppmv) for about a month long-period as against normal onset of monsoon where CO concentration generally drops down significantly. We compare level of CO in 2013 with normal monsoon year 2012. We provide a hypothesis to interpret this long lasting high concentration CO episode and validate using interactive high resolution WRF-Chem model. The model indicates that the high CO episode was caused by an unusually active Bay of Bengal branch of monsoon which bounces off from the east and transports CO rich air from the eastern part of the Indo Gangetic Plains to Delhi.

This article addresses the need to profoundly expand the way we think about freshwater. Stressing water’s role as the bloodstream of the biosphere, the article highlights water’s functions in sustaining life on the planet (control, state and moisture feedback functions), the role of water partitioning changes in inducing non-linear change at multiple scales, and humanity’s influence on a social-ecological system’s capacity to adapt and continue to function. It reviews water’s roles during its journey through the upper layers of the land mass, different types of water–ecosystem interactions, and water’s roles in landscape-scale resilience building.

Key points Retrieval medicine is the process by which suitably qualified and trained personnel utilize appropriate equipment and transport platforms to clinically manage and safely transport a patient from one location to another.1 Retrievals can be subclassified into primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary retrieval is the transport of patients to their initial hospital reception. This may be their nearest hospital, or directly to a larger and more distant centre such as a designated trauma centre.2,3 Secondary retrievals move patients from a non-specialized hospital to a higher level of clinical care such as for neurosurgery, interventional cardiology, complex obstetrics, or paediatrics. Tertiary retrievals transport patients between two similarly specialized hospitals. In ‘modified primary retrievals’, an injured or unwell patient has already been taken to an initial health facility that has minimal capacity to increase the level of care to that provided in the prehospital environment. In these circumstances, the retrieval team apply similar practices to a true primary retrieval, albeit in a more controlled clinical environment.3 In Australia, owing to the large land mass and relatively low population density, specialized medical services are clustered mostly in coastal urban centres. Therefore, many referrals are from rural and remote areas where access to specialist medical services is limited.2 Journeys range from a few kilometres and a few minutes in major capital cities to several thousand kilometres over many hours from isolated rural communities. While distance might not be limiting, other access issues such as …

Objectives To determine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in allergic rhinitis patients as well as identify contributory factors to patient's well-being. Methods Cross-sectional study by multistage sampling. Four-month study duration (October 2013 to January 2014). The setting of the study was Kwara State, Nigeria, which has 16 local government areas with 3 senatorial districts, total land mass of 36,825 km 2 with a population of 2,591,555. 132 consenting adults; 66 of them have allergic rhinitis (AR) using Score for Allergic Rhinitis (SFAR) instrument and 66 were age- and gender-matched controls ( χ 2 = 0, d.f. = 1, P = 1 and χ 2 = 1.24, d.f. = 2, P = 0.54, respectively). Information on HRQoL was obtained using the 14-parameter mini-rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (mini-RQLQ). Socio-demographic variables possibly contributory to patient's well-being were obtained. Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare means. Results The overall Total Symptom Score (TSS) was 3.37 ± 0.9, while male and female allergic patients and control TSS were 3.61 ± 1.0; 3.16 ± 0.8, and 0.98 ± 0.2; 0.95 ± 0.2, respectively. Effects of gender, marital status, senatorial districts, residential area and duration of symptoms had significant impact on the quality of life. The highest correlation with TSS and components of mini-RQOL questionnaire existed between nasal problems and other symptoms ( r = 0.866; 0.868). Conclusion AR had appreciable impact on HRQoL of the participants. Gender, number of dependents, marital status, senatorial districts, residential area and duration of symptoms were major identifiable contributory factors to the patient's well-being.

Land consolidation means a system of spatial planning, technical, legal and socio-economic measures takes by the community for a fundamental improvement of natural, economic and environmental conditions of the land territory with the aim of providing better living and working conditions and environmental protection. This document shows the analyzes of land consolidation development in Republic of Serbia, as well as the facilities and the problems that accompany it. On a practical case for land consolidation area K. O. Priboj, City of Leskovac, an analysis of the situation before land consolidation - the old condition and conditions after land consolidation - a new condition. Explained the phases in the process of land consolidation, and is particularly explained one of the most important stage - the allocation of land consolidation land mass.

A system capable of reliably detecting catastrophic landslides and centimeter movement in land mass could save lives and offers landowners valuable information about gradual changes in soil displac...

Papua New Guinea is the largest of the Pacific island states considered in this collection, both in terms of land mass and population. It is also one of the most complex in terms of the diversity and number of indigenous languages and the treatment of customs and customary laws. Whilst the formal law on adoption reflects a colonial past it also acknowledges customary adoption. In recent years greater legislative attention has been focussed on children and proposed reforms to the formal law on adoption are part of this shift.

This research explores population variability and heat bias prediction in a tropical country, Nigeria from 2006 to 2036. Data were generated from the projections of the National Population Commission (NPC) using the population mathematical model for heat bias data. With national population growth rate of 2.67%, Nigeria recorded heat bias of 60C in 2016, 6.10C in 2026 and 6.20C in 2036 as well as 0.10C decadal variation indicating that it has exceeded the 0.5-0.250C standard comfort threshold. The analytical results show that there is a positive association between population density and heat bias across the states of Nigeria with greater effects in states such as Lagos, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom Ekiti, Rivers, Osun and Ebonyi due to the high concentration of people in their limited land mass. And more of the eastern states of Nigeria will have much effect of the heat bias due to their high population density. It shows that land mass does not have any association with heat bias and will likely be influenced by land modification and atmospheric characteristics. Heat wave could result to death of people; therefore, national planners should implement environmental, health and land-use management strategies with immediate action in order to make Nigeria a safe place to live.